With another road win on Saturday, this one in Ohio by a 1-0 score over the Columbus Crew, Mike Petke’s team climbed into a first-place tie in the Eastern Conference. Montreal has three fewer games, while Kansas City and Houston have games to make up on the Red Bulls, too.

So while nobody will be rewarding the Red Bulls any conference crowns just yet, the club’s positioning stands as symbolic reward to improved performance over the last few weeks, when Petke’s team has been wiser at finding ways to win.

This was New York’s third consecutive road win; the Red Bulls are 3-3-1 and dead even on goal difference away from their home in Harrison, N.J.

On the other side, the Crew just has to be better at home. Robert Warzycha’s team has just one win in four home matches this year. The 1-1-2 record at Crew Stadium means just four of a possible 12 points from matches in Ohio this year. Again: that’s just not good enough.